How is this NOT Recruiting???

The following is a memo sent to a high school coach in Kentucky from an Admisnistrator at Jeffersonville in Indiana. COLLEGES aren't even allowed to have recruits on the sideline during a RECRUITING VISIT! Is this not the proof that all of the privates and KHSAA are asking for?

October 19, 2005

MEMO

FROM: Tony Branch, Athletic Director, Jeffersonville H.S.; IN____________

TO: JCPS Athletic Directors; Please share with your principals ___________________

Please consider keeping the original Proposal One plan that the 20 mile radius WILL NOT extend into another state. The proponents of separation stated in an Oct. 14th Courier Journal article that the lack of boundaries for private schools is one of their main concerns. If the public schools allow the athletic boundary of the Jefferson County private schools to cross state lines into the state of Indiana; geography will provide the private schools with 50% more boundary than the public schools since the Ohio River separates Jefferson County and Indiana. You would defeat your purpose of establishing fair boundaries for all schools in the KHSAA.

Jeffersonville High School is located in the state of Indiana. It is across the Ohio River and one mile north of Louisville, KY. In approximately the past six years, Jeffersonville has lost several outstanding football athletes to Louisville private schools:

Donald Barnett - Current running back at Trinity H.S. He is one of the top football players in the state of KY. His

current residence is in Jeffersonville.

Trea Burgess - Attended Trinity H.S. as a freshman & soph. Then transferred back to Jeffersonville H.S. in 2004

school year as a junior. He is Jeffersonville's most outstanding football player & one of the top

football players in Southern Indiana. Burgess has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season.

Ken Fuller - Attended Trinity as a freshman & Soph. then returned to Jeffersonville H.S.

Willie Williams - Graduated in 2004. Outstanding quarterback. Attended a Louisville private school for two years

then transferred back to Jeffersonville H.S.

Cruz May - Left for private Louisville school & played four years there.

Chase Bean - Attended Trinity H.S. as a freshman. Stayed there for one & one-half years then transferred back to

Jeffersonville H.S. this current school year.

Ed Wright - Current freshman at Jeffersonville H.S. He is our most outstanding freshman football player. He

Quarterbacks the JV and plays varsity as a freshman. He was courted in middle school by St. X.

They had him on the sideline of their state championship game in 2004.

Antonio Veals - A great football player and athlete. He played football for four years at Trinity and had an Outstanding football career at Western Kentucky University. He has finished his athletic eligibility at Western Kentucky Univ. and has just been hired by the Jeffersonville Fire Dept.

Donovan Sims - One of our two most talented sophomore players this current year. He transferred back to Jeffersonville after spending one year at Trinity H.S.

If Trea Burgess (2nd player listed) did not transfer back to Jeffersonville, Trinity would currently have our top two football players this season.

It is obvious to me that the Louisville private schools identify our best athletes in middle school as early as the 6th and 7th grades and then implement an organized recruitment process to persuade these selected athletes to attend their schools. This recruitment consists of handing out business cards, having current private school student-athletes e-mail them, invites to open house and shadowing, phone calls, and offers of financial aid. It is alarming to me and damaging to our athletic programs that Kentucky private schools can come into our state and recruit our best athletes to play in Kentucky High School athletics.

Consider that both Trinity and St. Xavier already have 1,500 to 1,600 boys. The Louisville public schools have approximately 1,400 to 1,800 students (girls & boys). Only half (700 to 900) of those students in public schools are boys. Trinity & St.X out number the public schools by 700 to 900 male athletes. If you also allow private schools to bring in top athletes from Indiana or out of state, you will make it very difficult for the public schools to establish an equitable balance of athletic talent with private schools. The original Proposal One would be effective because it would mandate the same eligibility requirements for both public and private schools.

To be effective, proposal one would require the legal guardian of student-athlete in question to provide proof of consistent residency in the state of Kentucky in order for the student to gain athletic eligibility. Students whose legal guardians are not residents of the state of Kentucky should not be given athletic eligibility in the KHSAA.

The Archdiocese's proposal would not allow students outside a 20 mile radius of their school to play varsity sports during their first year at the private school. This is not a concession. Most freshmen are not ready to compete on the varsity level. Therefore the private schools may still recruit outstanding athletes from outside their radius and across state lines to be in their freshman and junior varsity feeder programs. These athletes residing in Indiana & from outside the 20 mile radius would be allowed to compete all four years as is now the case. Nothing would have changed from the current system.

High school rules are not as strict as the NCAA's.

I counted 9 players named. Of the 9, only 1 is still playing at Trinity, and one has graduated. Are these the only 9 talented players that Southern Indiana has produced recently?

Next, where did these kids attend grade school/middle school? I'm asking because I really don't know. Where did they play their football that these coaches saw them play? Do they belong to Catholic parishes? Do they have, or have they had, relatives or other connections to the program?

"It is obvious to me that the Louisville private schools identify our best athletes in middle school as early as the 6th and 7th grades and then implement an organized recruitment process to persuade these selected athletes to attend their schools. This recruitment consists of handing out business cards, having current private school student-athletes e-mail them, invites to open house and shadowing, phone calls, and offers of financial aid."

The statement "It is obvious to me" should be changed to "It is my opinion".

All of the above is offered to ANY grade school students. Next.

ALL grade school students are invited onto St. X's sidelines for State Championship games?

How do you even know it even happened? Just because someone in a memo wrote that it happened? That's proof to you?

If so, then perhaps you'll believe this since it also is in writing: You've won $1,000,000 but in order to receive it you need to send me $10,000 in small bills. $20s would be fine.

I'm not trying to be cute and I hope the KHSAA looks into it, but its not proof until it is verified. Then's its proof. Case in point is the LexCath investigation. There were so many unsubstantiable allegations made it was silly. Rumors of rumors of rumors. There's a good reason why hearsay is inadmissible (in most cases) in a court of law: it is extremely unreliable.

Interesting to read but I don't think you can label it as proof.

Hmmm, I seem to remember a guy named Tony Branch that coached basketball at Seneca and he was widely thought to have hand picked (recruited) a number of players and shepparded them into Seneca. A number of JCPS coaches accused him of recruiting students (athletes) to Seneca by using his minor celebrity as a former Card. The guy couldn't win as a coach in Kentucky and I'm sure he is lying the groundwork to explain why he can't win in Indiana.

ALL grade school students are invited onto St. X's sidelines for State Championship games?

Good point... :thumb: :sssh:

I keep seeing the word "shadowing" pop up in these allegations against the privates. Anyone care to enlighten my as to what this is, as I am unable to ascertain this through the context?

Was this memo sent to the KHSAA as evidence of recruiting? And, if it wasn't, why not?

Again, if not, it needs to be sent to the KHSAA if you or the person that showed this to you has the original memo. Don't just post on BGP to "stir the pot". Send it.

"It is obvious to me that the Louisville private schools identify our best athletes in middle school as early as the 6th and 7th grades and then implement an organized recruitment process to persuade these selected athletes to attend their schools. This recruitment consists of handing out business cards, having current private school student-athletes e-mail them, invites to open house and shadowing, phone calls, and offers of financial aid."

 

The statement "It is obvious to me" should be changed to "It is my opinion".

 

All of the above is offered to ANY grade school students. Next.

Could it really be that these schools are succesful? Why don't you shoot down Male and Manual or Ballard. Redman even admitted, openly admitted he tried to recruit Brian Brohm, but knew it was not going to work because Oscar was at Trinity. It is one thing to go after the kid. It is another to know he won't come to Male, but keep trying to get them their even when the kid's father coaches at Trinity. I am sick of you guys whinning. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO IT TOO. DON't COME UP WITH EXCUSES. OH I do have a cousin that went to Male, he said he has friends from Bulliet County and Shelby County. WOW nothing was said about this stuff. IT is jealousy and you know it.

The Public schools have the same benefits. Their teachers get paid more. It is called ALUMNI. Kicking in money to make the Private schools facilities as good as they can get. THAT is what it is about.

Don't give me this stuff about unfair, uneven playing field. Some not all, public schools go after kids. So quit whinning and grow up.

A statewide e-mail was sent out similar to this around the time of the voting of Proposal 20 saying that X and T had been recruiting Indiana kids for years and thanked everyone who voted for Prop 20. I don't know if it is true but it is very similar to the e-mail that a lot of KY teachers received.

I keep seeing the word "shadowing" pop up in these allegations against the privates. Anyone care to enlighten my as to what this is, as I am unable to ascertain this through the context?

Trinity Shadowing:

Shadowing is the best way for a student to get a personal perspective of the Trinity experience. Typically, 8th grade students shadow in the fall and 7th grade students are invited to shadow in the spring.

• Shadows are asked to arrive before 7:45 a.m. at the Rotunda – the building at the corner of Shelbville Rd. and Sherrin Ave.
  
• They will be introduced to a freshman student “host”, eat breakfast and proceed to class.
  
• Shadows spend a half-day with their host during the first five periods of the day (including lunch)
  
• A short tour, starting at 12:15, concludes the day. Parents are welcome to join us for the tour, or pick up your son around 1:15.
  
• Student hosts can be requested or we can assign a student with similar interests to your son’s.
  

To arrange for a Shadow, please contact the Office of School Advancement at 502.736.2109.

Here is my opinion....

I've had the honor and privilege to get to know Coach Branch over the years when at Seneca, he is a class act and one of the best people I have met in or out of coaching. If players attended Seneca because of "his name", than in my opinion it was to play for the man, who has a very impressive playing resume, rather than him recruiting them.

He has dismissed players off the Seneca team, from discipline to other...he has more integrity than most people I have met. He practices with a passion and loves teaching the game. He finished the season at Seneca last year, with different players he began with, after dismissing several. He cared more about those players and his team, learning life lessons than his record.

He's been in my home, is welcome in my home and I'm proud to call him my friend and NO ONE....should be attacking this man's character....NO ONE.

I take great exception to anyone questioning this man's integrity. :thumb: